Wrench



lilatented Aug. 14,1928. y

UNITED; ASfiA'ras mnwann n. einem, or saremo, mmm melma To n I. mmf Femm `1,680,956 wrm-:NT ori-ica WRENCH.

pagina ma frehrury s, 192s. .serial in. e919.

`My invention relates more particularly to wrenches adjustable for grasping nuts of different sizes in which one of the jaws is guided relative to the other in its opening and closing movement by a sliding cross bar actuated by a lever or the like havingteeth engagin a rack formed on the cross bar. It has or its object the provision of a wrench of this character which is serviceable and strong and not liable to get out of order, which is simple in construction and relatively economical to manufacture.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of wrench embodying my invention; Fig. 2 a similar view with a part removed to show the interior construction; Fig. 3 an elevation on a plane at right angles to that ofV Fig. 1; Fig. 4 an elevation of a detail partially broken away; Fig. 5 a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 a plan of the detail shown in Figs. 4 and 5; and Figs. 7 and 8 perspective viewsV of two of the elements of the wrench.

The main and relatively stationary member of the wrench comprises a jaw 9, a cheek plate 9a and a handle member 10 all of which may constitute an integral forging. The `jaw is cut away or rabbeted as at 23 and the handleat 27 to form seats for the cover plate 24. The latter may be of sheet metal of suitable thickness and is riveted in position on the main member as shown in Fig. 1 by means of the rivets 29, 30, 31, 32. It may be further secured by electric welding if desired.

The cheek plate 9a and the cover plate 24 are so spaced apart as to furnish a suitable chamber or opening for the slide bar 12 of the movable Vjaw and the leverI 14 for operating the same. The rack bar is formed with teeth 35 on its under edge and a groove 33, rectangular in vcross section on its side. The latter engages and snugly :lit-s a transverse rib 34 of similar cross seetion formed on the inner face of the cheek plate 9 so that the movable jaw 13 is guided in its opening and closing movement. That portion4 of the handle 14 which enters the chamber or opening of the main member of the wrench is, except inthe respect hereinafter mentioned, of a thickness to snugly ,fit within the chamber and is formed or provided with a pivot 16 extending from opposite faces thereof which extends into slots 17, 18 formed respectively in the cheek plate and cover plate of the main member of the wrench. The slots 17, 18 are inclined as shown and the lever 14 is normally held in the upper ends of the slots as shown by a spring 19 extending into a cut away por- 2 tion 25 in the side of the lever and engaging the shoulder 40 thereof. The spring 19 is given several turns about the enlarged bar rel 20. of the rivet 32 and the end thereof not in engagement with the lever engages a `notch 21 in the main member of the wrench. I have shown the wrench as provided with the usual cutting edges 28.

In wrenches of this general construction heretofore upon the market there is a tendeney of the grooved bar and the rib in the main member with which the groove cooperates to spread under the pressure exerted by the lever 14 in using the tool and this tendency increases with the use of the tool as the parts thereof become more or less worn. In order to overcome this objectionable tendency I so incline the teeth 35 transversely of the rack and the teeth 36 of the lever engaging the same that the pressure of the latter on the former in using the tool tends to force the rack bar into closer contact with the cheek plate of the main member and thus to keep the groove of the rack bar in complete engagement with the rib on the main member, thus counteracting the tendency of the parts to spread or separate. Not only is the useful life of the wrench materially prolonged but the operation thereofl is made much smoother.

I claim:

l. A wrench comprising a relatively fixed i and having teeth engaging the rack, the

teeth on the rack and lever being so inclined transversely thereof that the pressure of the lever teeth on the rack in the operation of closing the wrench tends to force the rack against the side of the fixed jaw member.

2. In a wrench a iixed jaw member com prising a cheek plate,` a movable jawhavingl a rack bar sliding in the fixed jaw member, a rib and groove guiding engagement between the rack bar and the xed jaw memieo her the eeih on the rack bar being inclined transversely thereof and a lever having one or more 'eeth engaging the teeth of the ruck han', the inclination of the teeth of the raul: bnr tending.l in operation, to force the bnr against the cheek plate of the fixed jaw member.

3. In a Wrench of the class described a lined jaw member :1nd a sliding jaw member, the leiter formed with :i toothed rack,

to form a shoulder 40, u transverse pin 20 Il in the xed jaw member and a coiled spring 19 surrounding said pin and engaging the shoulder of the handle at one end and the fixed jaw member at the other.

EDWARD H. SIMON SEN. 

